Springtime at Wildacre: the gorgeously uplifting, feel-good romance (Animal Ark Revisited Book 3)

by Lucy Daniels

  Adam seemed to be enjoying being in the clinic more as well. Emily Hope, Mandy’s mother, had been unwell just before Christmas. Though she was better, following a series of injections of vitamin B12, and with iron supplements to help with her anaemia, she still seemed tired at times and was doing less work than she had before. It was good that she was listening to the doctor. Mandy knew that if she took the farm calls, her dad could be closer to her mum, which was a comfort to them both.

  She peered at the screen, where Helen was pointing.

  ‘Birch Fenwick,’ she read. ‘Dewclaw injury.’

  Tango reached out his nose towards Helen’s pointing finger and the nurse moved her hand to rub him behind his ear. ‘I spoke to Dawn Fenwick,’ Helen said as Tango began to purr loudly. ‘Everything is going brilliantly. She’s going to bring Flame in too.’

  ‘How lovely.’ Mandy was delighted to hear that the gorgeous golden lurcher she had rehomed back in January would be coming in with Birch, the tiny silver terrier. The pair had attached themselves to one another when both had been in Hope Meadows. It was great to hear that things were going well. A dewclaw injury was only minor, after all.

  Forty minutes later, Mandy left Animal Ark, with Sky, her border collie trotting at her heels. Together, they walked into the field behind Animal Ark, towards Hope Meadows. Sky had been one of Mandy’s first rescues at the centre, a shrinking dog, terrified of the world. Now, she was placid, loving and happy. Mandy stopped to fondle Sky and make a fuss of her before she went in to care for her current residents.

  She opened the door and walked into the beautiful room with its huge window onto the fellside. It was half-term and Nicole Woodall, the shy teenager who helped Mandy out in the evenings and weekends during school time, was already halfway through cleaning out the cats. Mandy felt a surge of pleasure. Nicole was so willing, and more importantly, brilliant with the animals. She seemed instinctively to know when there was a problem. Mandy smiled. Despite being rather old, the second-hand cages she had bought were spotless and Nicole was engrossed in her favourite task of the moment.

  ‘How are they?’ Mandy asked, sliding down to sit on the floor beside the teenager. In her left hand, Nicole held a tiny black and white kitten. In the cage opposite, the kitten’s two brothers, one ginger and one tabby, were snuggled against their mother. The little black and white cat had been brought in a fortnight earlier, heavily pregnant and desperately thin. She had given birth safely six days ago, but the kittens had not thrived at the beginning. Mandy had weighed them daily. By day three, it had become apparent that they were not growing. Since then, Mandy had been supplementing the mother’s milk.

  ‘They’re doing wonderfully well.’ Nicole had really come out of her shell since she’d been coming to Hope Meadows, Mandy thought. Mandy had met Nicole six months ago when she had been out riding with Molly Future at Six Oaks. Nicole worked as a stable hand for Molly and now, she split her time between there and Hope Meadows.

  The girl’s long blonde hair fell over her face as she leaned forwards to tend to the tiniest of the kittens. ‘I’ve given them names,’ she told Mandy, her eyes darting to Mandy’s face, then returning to her minuscule charge. ‘This is Button.’ She cradled the tiny scrap of fur in one hand. With the other, she held a miniature feeding bottle. Button was suckling at the teat. Her teeny paws were flexing and relaxing in turn, kneading at Nicole’s fingers. The small, domed head was still.

  Mandy smiled at the ecstasy in the little face with its as-yet-unopened eyes. ‘Why Button?’ she asked.

  ‘Because she’s cute as a little button,’ Nicole said. Button had let go of the teat. Her head was bumbling about as if searching for something, but Nicole smiled as she held the tiny body up and inspected the round tummy. ‘I think you’ve had enough,’ she told the kitten. She lifted a piece of damp cotton wool from a box. Turning the kitten over, she rubbed her underside, mimicking the action of the mother’s tongue until the tiny animal passed urine. Nicole made sure the kitten was clean before she carried her back to her mother.

  Mandy watched with pride. She had taught Nicole how to feed and handle the kittens and Nicole had picked it up perfectly.

  I couldn’t have asked for a better helper.

  This thought was followed by Mandy’s familiar stab of guilt that she wasn’t able to pay Nicole for her help yet. She needed to find a way, she knew, but she’d been struggling to find funding for Hope Meadows altogether.

  ‘Do the others have names as well?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes.’ Nicole knelt at the door to the cage. ‘That one’s Jasper.’ She pointed to the largest of the kittens, a ginger tom with a white chest who was squirming his way up his mother’s flank. ‘And that’s Myler,’ she said.

  ‘Myler.’ Mandy looked at the last of the kittens, the male tabby. ‘It suits him,’ she said with a grin.

  Two hours later, she sat at the desk in the Hope Meadows reception area, gazing at the computer screen. All the bills for April had now been paid, but despite her best efforts, she was still going into the red by the end of every month. She chewed her thumb as she scrolled through the rows and columns of numbers, searching for inspiration.

  What with the extra work of lambing time, and Emily being less well, she’d had no time to come up with any new fundraising plans. James and his assistant Sherrie were still sending contributions from James’s café-cum-bookshop in York, but somehow it never seemed to be quite enough to keep everything ticking over.

  ‘Mandy! Could you come here a second?’ Nicole’s voice floated through to reception. With a sigh, Mandy closed the lid of the computer and pushed her worries down.

  Another day …

  Chapter Two

  The track that led to Wildacre no longer felt like a jungle safari. The plants had been trimmed back and the worst of the ruts filled in by the landscapers. Mandy’s heart lifted as she drove towards her new home in the evening sunlight. The damaged parts of the weatherboarding had been replaced and the walls were freshly painted. The door was a lively shade of buttercup yellow. The plasterer’s van stood in the little parking place in front of the house, so she drove round the side and pulled up next to the lean-to shed where the wood for the stove was stored.

  Walking round to the front door with Sky at her heels, she stopped for a moment to admire the scenery. Like the track, the overgrown garden had been partially tamed. It was James who had pointed out last year that there would be a lovely view over the valley, and so it had proved. Between the tall trees, she could see right down to the river. Further away, the fell reached towards the sky, the dry-stone walls scaling the heights, as they had for hundreds of years.

  The scent of new plaster met her as she opened the door.

  ‘Hello.’ The plasterer greeted her from the sitting room, in overalls covered with white, powdery plaster. ‘Just finishing up,’ he told her. Most of the work had been carried out a couple of weeks earlier, but then the electricians had been in to complete the rewiring. It was such a mundane thing, yet Mandy watched with her heart in her mouth as he smoothed the area below the light switch, his movements economical. ‘And that’s it.’ He took a step back and regarded his handiwork with apparent satisfaction. Pulling off his gloves, he threw them into an empty bucket that was standing on the floor.

  ‘It looks great.’ Mandy gazed around, a grin spreading across her face. The ugly green wallpaper was gone, and the brick mantelpiece looked wonderful flanked by the new smooth plaster. The whole house already felt brighter.

  I’ll decorate as soon as it’s dry.

  She had already bought a warm shade of white paint called Sail White.

  The plasterer tidied away his tools. ‘I’ll be off then,’ he told her. ‘Give me a shout if there’s anything else you need.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Mandy said. When he had gone, she walked out of the sitting room and crossed into the kitchen. The late sunshine slanted in through the kitchen windows. The shutters had been cleaned and freshly painted, as had
the cupboards and the walls. The ancient black wood stove and the shutters lent the room a slightly old-fashioned feel. Mandy had also spent ages stripping down the old oak table and it stood under the window, with the newly upholstered chairs either side. Once the cupboard doors were in place, this room would be finished. Rather than buying new doors, Mandy had sanded the old ones until her arm had ached, then she had painted them a smart shade of green. Bronze handles completed the effect. For now, they were leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, but soon it would all be done. Soon this place would be a real home.

  ‘Evening!’ There came a welcome shout, then the sound of the front door opening. Sky’s tail began to beat against Mandy’s leg and a moment later the collie rushed across the room as Simba, Jimmy Marsh’s German Shepherd thundered in, followed at a more sedate speed by Zoe, his extremely pregnant husky. Jimmy followed close on their heels. He crossed the room and put a hand on Mandy’s waist, kissing her warmly. Even after six months, his touch still left her breathless. When they pulled apart a moment later, both of them were smiling.

  ‘Hello, you,’ Mandy said, then bent to stroke Zoe and Simba, who having greeted Sky, were pressing against Mandy’s legs as if she was the most wonderful person they had ever seen. ‘And hello, you two.’ Zoe licked her hand as Mandy scratched the soft fur behind the husky’s ear. She followed Jimmy as he walked through into the sitting room.

  ‘Wow, it’s looking so good,’ he told her after he had examined the new plasterwork from every angle.

  ‘It is, isn’t it?’ Mandy agreed. Jimmy put an arm round her waist again and pulled her into a hug. ‘It’ll look even better when we’ve painted it,’ he said. ‘Shall we get those cupboard doors up?’

  Moving back through to the kitchen, followed by the dogs, Jimmy opened the toolbox that lay on the table. Lifting out a screwdriver and a box of screws, he set them on the side, then lifted up one of the brightly painted cupboard doors. ‘You’ve made a great job of these,’ he told her, looking up, his green eyes crinkling as he smiled.

  Mandy waved away the dogs, who looked disappointed that there was no food coming as they trotted and flopped down on the rugs that lay by the door. Clearly they were quite aware of the fact that this was a kitchen, even if it wasn’t quite finished yet.

  Then she took the cupboard door from Jimmy and lined it up with the hinges, holding it so he could screw them into place. She glanced at him as he worked, and couldn’t help smiling to see his eyes narrowed with concentration, his tongue slightly sticking out, almost like Tango’s did when he was disturbed mid-wash.

  Forty-five minutes later, the green cupboard doors were all in place and Mandy and Jimmy stood back together, admiring the completed kitchen in the warm evening glow.

  Seeing they had finished, the three dogs stood up, yawning and stretching. Simba came over and looked at them, ears pricked, head on one side. Then with a small whine, she trotted out into the hall, then returned to gaze at them again. ‘I think she wants some fresh air,’ Mandy said.

  ‘I think you’re right,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘How about it?’

  There was no need for jackets. With the three dogs trotting at their heels, they turned left out of the front door, through the yard at the side of the house and plunged into the woods. It was an old footpath, which Mandy recalled from her childhood. Years ago, she and James had walked here with Blackie, James’s beloved Labrador. When she had returned to the cottage last year, it had been overgrown and almost unrecognisable, but she and Jimmy had reclaimed it, one Easter weekend, hacking away at the brambles until they had cleared a path to the open fell above Lamb’s Wood.

  There was just enough room for Mandy and Jimmy to walk side by side. The sun was low in the sky, sending shafts of golden light between the tree trunks, and the air was cool on her face. Sky and Simba had rushed on ahead. Mandy could hear them now and then as they crashed through the undergrowth. Occasionally their heads would appear, ears pricked, tongues lolling, then they would hare off again.

  Zoe walked more sedately just in front of them, her swollen belly almost swinging with each stride. Now and then, she padded to Jimmy’s side, looking up at him and licking his hand, then she moved on again.

  They stopped when they reached the top of the woods to put on the dogs’ leads. Mandy crouched down to rub Zoe’s ear as Jimmy opened the gate that led out onto the open moor. ‘She’s starting to feel it,’ Mandy said, looking up at Jimmy.

  ‘She is,’ he replied, holding out his hand to steady her as she stood back up. He was grinning. ‘She’s going to be the most wonderful mother.’

  Mandy knew how excited he was about Zoe’s first litter. He had paired Zoe with a champion sledding husky from Scotland. It had all been planned down to the last detail. If all went well, he was hoping this would only be the beginning. He wanted to breed his own little sled team, he had told her. Mandy grinned as she imagined them, racing along the tracks around Welford.

  ‘Are we still on for the scan on Wednesday?’ she asked as they stepped away from the gate and set off up the fell. Now that the husky was nearing her ninth and last week of pregnancy, it was time for her to have her first ultrasound scan. Mandy felt so honoured that Jimmy had involved her at every stage, asking her advice before conception, through the mating and then during the pregnancy itself. He had helped her so much over the past months with Wildacre, and in return she was determined that Zoe and the pups should have the very best care.

  ‘Yes, we’re all set,’ Jimmy replied. They had reached the ridge that ran through an area of rough moorland. A green track meandered up the hill to their right and they turned onto it. With the three dogs close at their heels, they headed upwards. ‘Oh, and I need to check, is it okay for Abi and Max to come along to the scan?’ Jimmy added, cheerfully. ‘They’re just as excited as we are about Zoe. Also …’ now, he spoke in a more tentative tone, and reached out to take her fingers in his own warm, slightly rough hand, ‘… if it’s okay with you, I’d like to introduce you as my girlfriend.’

  Mandy felt her stomach contract a little. Abi and Max were Jimmy’s nine-year-old twins from his earlier marriage to Belle. At the beginning of their relationship, Jimmy had told her that he wanted to take things slowly between her and the children. She had appreciated his thoughtfulness, but in truth she hadn’t wanted to rush in either. She had never been all that confident around children. They were like unruly baby animals, except they could talk, and they apparently took about eighteen years to be fully trained.

  She forced herself to smile. ‘Of course they can come,’ she said, hoping her voice wouldn’t betray her mixed feelings. ‘It’s important they remember to stay very quiet and calm,’ she added. They were only a few years younger than Nicole, she reminded herself, though Nicole seemed so much more mature.

  ‘They will,’ he assured her. ‘They’re dying to see the puppies.’

  Jimmy stopped beside her on the path. He gazed at her as if trying to divine her thoughts. ‘I really want the children to share the experience of Zoe having puppies,’ he said. ‘And I think it’s the perfect way for them to start spending time with you.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘And yes, that means I’m pretty deadly serious about you. I hope that’s okay?’

  Mandy felt a small shiver of happiness run through her, and now she found her smile came easily. ‘Of course it is,’ she replied. Leaning forward, she kissed him. ‘It will be lovely to have them there.’

  They walked on up the track. It really was a very beautiful evening. Down in the valley, the church clock began to strike seven. The tones hung in the evening air. In the distance, Mandy could hear sheep. At their feet, the dogs panted. Sky looked as if she was grinning as she glanced up at Mandy. They reached the cairn that marked the top of the rise and stopped. Below them, Welford’s grey stone houses sent long shadows across the ground. Lamb’s Wood, a few hundred feet below them looked green and inviting as spring worked its magic on the earth.

  ‘I want to spend as much time
with the children as I can at the moment.’ Jimmy stood looking north, up towards the Beacon on Norland Fell. ‘I don’t think I told you – Belle and Dan are expecting a baby.’ The sun shone on the side of his face, shadowing his eyes.

  ‘That’s lovely.’ The words came automatically to Mandy, but a jolt of unease ran through her. She had no idea how Jimmy would feel. She knew Belle was remarried, to Sergeant Dan Jones from the police force in Walton, but Jimmy had never really talked about it much.

  ‘It is lovely,’ Jimmy said quickly. ‘I’m thrilled for her. I’m just not sure how it’ll affect the twins. I don’t want them to feel pushed out by the new baby.’

  Mandy felt puzzled for a moment. ‘I’m sure Belle will love them all just the same,’ she said.

  Jimmy gave a tight smile. ‘It’s a bit more complicated than that when a new baby comes along,’ he told her. Mandy found herself wondering exactly what he meant. Surely the only really important thing was that their mum still loved them? ‘Belle’s due date is in August. They’ve got time to get used to the idea. I’d like to give Abi and Max a really good summer. And now you’re a big part of my life, I’d like you and them to know each other better.’

  Mandy managed to smile. It was great that things were going so well that Jimmy wanted her to get to know his children better. She wanted to be in Jimmy’s life, and she knew this was part of it.

  But being part of Jimmy’s plan for keeping the twins settled and ensuring they had a good summer made her feel a little bit twitchy. With this big change happening in their lives, this didn’t seem like the best time to get to know them. What if they didn’t like her? Wouldn’t that make things worse?

  Then her eyes fell on Zoe, who was sitting on the sloping grass with her tongue lolling happily as Sky bounded in circles around her.